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In a brief interview Friday, Reid said that Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval should be well ahead in a potential race, given that the Senate majority leader spends most of his time in Washington while Sandoval traverses the Silver State.

“I thought he would be up by more,” Reid said Friday afternoon as he left the Capitol. “He’s out there every day; I’m back here slogging it out. I was surprised it was so close. Really!”

The automated poll by Republican firm Harper Polling found Reid unpopular back home, with just 41 percent of voters holding a favorable view of their senior senator, compared to 58 percent who view Sandoval in a positive light. In a head-to-head matchup, the GOP poll showed Sandoval leading Reid 53-43 percent. With Sandoval skating to a second term this fall, Republicans and Democrats both agree that the moderate Hispanic governor would be Reid’s toughest opponent, particularly given the Nevada Democrat’s poor approval ratings.

But the thinking in the political class in Nevada is that Sandoval has little appetite for a run against Reid, even though he will almost certainly come under heavy pressure from GOP leaders to jump in what would be the country’s premier race.

Even though Sandoval isn’t facing serious Democratic opposition this year, Reid is putting up a heavy fight to elect Democrats in down-ticket races this fall, several of which could impact the 74-year-old if he chooses to run for a sixth term.

Most importantly, the lieutenant governor’s race in Nevada is emerging as a proxy war between Reid and Sandoval, where the majority leader’s political machine is trying to elect Democratic assemblywoman Lucy Flores against the governor’s candidate, state Sen. Mark Hutchison. The belief is that if Flores emerges victorious, it would make it far less likely that Sandoval challenges Reid because, if he wins, he’d have to turn the governor’s mansion over to a Democrat.